The RA
by akiismarina
Summary: AU. Hermione is a sophomore in college can't sleep due to reoccurring nightmares. Thankfully, there's a very thoughtful RA out there whose more than happy to lend her a hand and distract her very thoroughly.


**THE RA**

Hermione yawned widely as she struggled to keep her eyes open. She gasp slightly as the feeling of her head falling to her chest woke her up yet again. It was nearly two in the morning, and her mind and body were protesting strongly at being up for over twenty-four hours. She shook her head side to side vigorously, determined to hold her vigil. She looked back down to her book, and began to attempt to read the same paragraph she'd been on since she walked into the lounge nearly three hours earlier. The door suddenly swung open startling her, making her let out a yelp and curl further into the plush couch. A second later her heart began to beat again when a head covered in red hair popped in. another second passed before her heart accelerated as her brain registered just who was standing there, staring at her in surprise.

"Hermione? You gave me a bloody heart attack!" Charlie admonished, only half serious.

"The feeling's mutual." She responded a few moments later with a wry grin. Even she could tell her wit was slower than normal. "Do you have to come flying in like that?"

"Yep."

There was a moment of silence as Hermione halfheartedly fumed over his non-committal answer. Then she remembered the fiasco last year when a RA strolled into a lounge with a closed door, and found herself witness to a drunken threesome between Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle. That alone was enough to make a person seek therapy, but because she wasn't expecting to see anyone they spotted her first and threw an empty Vodka bottle at her. Needless to say, she never returned and RAs were now must more prepared.

"Hermione?" Charlie called out slightly louder than necessary. Hermione broke from her thoughts and was startled to see he now stood barely a foot away. Judging from the look he was giving her, that wasn't the first time he'd called her.

"Sorry, what?" Hermione asked feeling slightly embarrassed.

"I asked why you're still up when your obviously falling asleep where you sit." Charlie repeated.

Hermione swallowed hard and hesitated just a moment too long in her answer. Charlie's eyes narrowed at her, prompting her to answer him. "I can't sleep." She stated, wincing at the look on his face that all too clearly screamed 'no-shit-Sherlock'. "I've been having… nightmares, about the fight."

Charlie nodded understandingly. He'd been one of the first people to arrive and help when some kids at a neighboring school came onto campus and picked a fight with Harry and Ron when they were hanging out one evening. One of the student's had stabbed Harry with a screwdriver in the chest. Harry had been rushed to the emergency room, and was well on the road to recovery. The other kids were arrested, but they had a lawyer saying Harry and Ron provoked them when they were obviously intoxicated and they couldn't be held responsible. Every night sense then she'd relive it in her dreams. The pain on Harry's face when he was stabbed, all of the blood, clutching his hand in the ambulance – every little detail was clear in her mind.

Charlie sat on the couch next to her with his body turned to face her. Gently he took her hand into his and rested them both on the leg resting curled between them.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He finally spoke. His green-blue eyes bore deeply into hers. Hermione shook her head.

"I don't want to think about it. Or remember it, or anything." Hermione whispered. She fought to control her emotions but, to her shame, tears began to streak down her cheeks. She scrubbed furiously and them. "This is your fault!" She snapped at Charlie, confusing him. "Not once did I let those people make me cry, and now… I just can't stop!"

She reached out to smack him, to make him go away and leave her alone, but he caught her hand and held in tightly. She glared at him, and was met with an equally hard look. Her frustration peaked as she his amazing eyes harden and stared right at her, into her, seeing everything she tried so hard to repress and push away. She took a deep breath bracing herself to scream at him and push away at the man she'd grown to love over the past two years for good.

She tried to yell, but found her voice muffled helplessly. Her mind slowly caught up with the rest her and realized Charlie was there, pressing his lips rough to her own, his hand cupped around the back of her neck pulling her to him while the other gripped hers tightly, desperately. Hermione wrenched away sobbing.

"Please Charlie! Don't play like that, I just… I can't. Please, just stay like always and when you leave in May I'll move on and…" She was cut off by another rough kiss.

He threw himself forward to be closer with such force he knocked her back. Not wanting to be separated from her lips, he leaned forward until he rested on his hands and knees over her. She pressed her hands to his chest in a false attempt to push him away. Determined to not let her run away from him, he grabbed both hands in one of his and held them pinned just about her head, leaving his weight resting on the other. Her squeak of surprised broke through the fog of his mind just enough to make him lessen the pressure on her lips and gently lave attention to each lip in turn, licking and nipping her bottom one. She shuddered at the sensations he created. Charlie noticed and took the understood she wouldn't fight him anymore.

Triumphantly he traced her lips with his tongue and slipped between them to finally taste her. Only after thoroughly exploring her mouth, and discovering every sensitive part did he pull away and let her breath. She panted, trying to catch her breath, only to have it wrenched away in a gasp when he began to kiss and nip her neck. At its base near the shoulder he nipped roughly , then lapped his tongue over the wound. Without a warning he sucked on the sensitized skin, earning a loud gasp and several low moans.

Hermione lost track of time as Charlie proceeded to kiss her quite literally senseless. When he finally began to slow and pull away she caught a glimpse of the clock and was surprised to see it was nearly three. Charlie finally pulled back and allowed her to sit up. Still craving her touch he pulled her into his lap and held her tightly. For a long time, neither of them spoke, simply enjoying being near the other.

"Tomorrow's Friday." Charlie stated. Hermione looked up at him, wondering what would influence such a random statement. "Maybe… we could go out?" Charlie look adorable uncertain and nervous as he silently prayed for her to say yes. Hermione blushed softly at his intensity, and nodded.

After several good byes they finally parted ways, he to his room in the neighboring building, and he down the hall to her own room. That night, she fell asleep, and never once did her nightmare show signs of reappearing. Instead, she dreamed of Charlie, and she smiled knowing that he dreamed of her too.


End file.
